Welcome To The Candy Store Speed Dating Event!
by Slushie Addict
Summary: What if the lyrics to 'Candy Store' is a code word for not being straight? No seriously, just because I was drinking alcohol when I had this idea didn't mean that it was a bad thought right?
1. Chapter 1

Hey Slushie Addict here! So I wanted to make this a super lengthy story that consists of many chapters but I was like, nah let's just keep it short and light-hearted to the best of my ability. This story will be separated into two chapters, one for Veronica's POV and one for Heather Duke's POV. It will all be in third person POV, just as a heads up. Oh right, and this happens in a modern AU without any deaths. With that, I don't own Heathers!

XXXXXX

"Veronica, I know this sounds like a really bad suggestion especially after what you've been through... but maybe you could try meeting someone new?" An overweight woman with wavy brown hair tied back with a pink scrunchie suggested to another woman who was slimmer in comparison with the first woman. The second woman, Veronica, had dark circles around her eyes and a wary look on her pale face. She wore a loose grey t-shirt and a pair of black cargo pants, with a blue woollen scarf draped around her neck.

"I appreciate the suggestion Martha, really I do. It's just... I don't really have the time to meet new people." Veronica replied, sighing heavily. The first woman, Martha, nodded. They both knew that it wasn't that Veronica had no time to meet new people, it was because Veronica had just left a relationship and she wasn't interested in entering a new one at the moment. "You know how the first one turned out..."

"Veronica, it's been two years. And while I'm always here for you, some times it's best if you just take a baby step outside your comfort zone." Martha continued, placing a reassuring hand on Veronica's left shoulder. "Besides, I didn't say that you should enter a new one. I just said to meet someone new, he or she could be your next best friend apart from me."

"You know that I don't like new things, people included." Veronica mumbled, hugging her legs as she cast a pleading look at Martha. Martha shook her head, bringing Veronica into a side hug. "What if I mess things up again? What if that person doesn't like how I dress or how I speak or how sharp my nose is or-"

"I'm going to cut you off there Veronica. You're the most wonderful, beautiful and bestest person anyone can ask for in a friend or something more! Conclusion, you _are_ awesome."

"There isn't a word such as 'bestest' Martha, but yeah you're the best friend anyone can ever ask for." Veronica cracked a small smile and patted the hand on her shoulder as her response to the hug. They stayed like this in silence for a while before she broke it with a question. "So, who are you hooking me up?"

"Aw come on Veronica! 'Hooking' up is such an ugly way to describe it..." Martha pouted, poking Veronica's cheek with her other hand. "But okay, since you already know what I did I'll tell you. I've signed you up for a speed dating event in two weeks time, and I just want to tell you that it's perfectly okay if you don't wish to attend it. I can always cancel it in your place, five dollars is no big deal."

"What? Oh, you don't have to do that! I mean, it's perfectly okay if it's _just_ making friends at a speed dating event..."

"Don't worry, there's no one here pressuring you to be in some form of relationship with anyone there, friendship or not." Martha reassured her best friend, holding up her smartphone for Veronica to see. "Anyways, it's a LGBT plus event. I'm not sure how does it work, but I can assure you that they wouldn't make your life hell because you're bi."

"I... guess that's reassuring in a way?" Veronica admitted, she already felt much safer knowing that the event had people from the LGBT plus spectrum. She gently held Martha's phone, scrolling through the details of the event. The event was held in a reception hall at a nearby hotel, it started at 9 am and the age group was between 21 to 35. There was even a dress code, informing participants to attend the event in smart casual attire. "Seriously?! I don't even know if I have _anything_ that's considered smart casual!"

"We can go shopping for it!" Martha said, a smile on her face. "It'll be fun!"

"I guess I don't have a choice..."

XXXXXX

"I'm starting to feel a sense of crippling regret. Martha, say something to convince me out of this." Veronica paled, the hotel building looming above her. It wasn't a five-star hotel, yet Veronica was worried that she showed up too casual to the event. "I bet the receptionist is going to go all like 'check out that skank, she's a fucking slob'!"

"Veronica, _no_. You're not a slob and you're definitely _not_ a skank! What does it even mean anyway?" Martha asked, pushing Veronica into the hotel's lobby. "I've signed you up under your name for 'Candy Store Speed Dating', go ask the receptionist which level is it held at."

"Another thing, what if I'm not slutty enough for the event? I mean, the name suggests that it's for prostitutes and hustlers!" Martha rolled her eyes, dragging her to a receptionist. The receptionist simply stared at them, an amused smile on her lips as she waited patiently for them to ask her something. "Oh god. The way she's staring at me shows that she thinks I'm a freak in a zoo."

"I assure you miss, I'm certainly not staring at you like some 'freak in a zoo'. Now how can I help you?" The receptionist answered, not looking the least bit offended at Veronica's comment. Veronica gulped, shrinking behind Martha while Martha rolled her eyes at her best friend's actions.

"She's not going to eat you Veronica. Anyways, could you tell us which level is 'Candy Store Speed Dating' held?"

"Certainly, it is held on the fourth level of this hotel. The event is held in the Phoenix Hall." The receptionist replied professionally, though her amused smile was still present on her face. "We hope that you have a pleasant time here."

"Now remember Veronica, you don't have to stay if you don't feel comfortable. If you want to leave early-"

"Feel free to call you to pick me up, yeah I got it Martha. Sometimes I think that you're my mom."

"Isn't that a good thing?" The two women laughed, with Martha gently pushing Veronica towards the lift. Veronica gave a hesitant wave, tugging on the collar of her navy blue blouse. She wasn't sure if her clothes were good enough for the event, but Martha (and the saleslady at the clothing store they went) reassured her that she looked fine. The lift doors parted, bringing Veronica to the event. There were quite a few people hanging outside the ballroom that was holding the event, with another receptionist right beside the doors. Veronica gulped, exiting the lift and making her way to the receptionist.

"Hello, are you here for the 'Candy Store Speed Dating' event?" Veronica nodded, her caramel eyes darting around nervously. "Don't worry sweetie, they won't bite. Probably. Could you tell me your name then?"

"Veronica. Sawyer." The receptionist nodded, her fingers clacking away on a computer's keyboard. "Um... how does this work?"

"The event? Oh we'll give you a number and your table number, then you just go sit at that table and we'll call out even numbered people to move. Last time we made everyone move, guess what happened." The receptionist chuckled, handing Veronica a clip-on card, a scrap of paper and a score sheet. "Here you go, the number on the paper is the table number while the number on the card determines whether you have to move or not. The score sheet is used to fill up the numbers of those lucky people that you're interested in."

"So... that means that I get to sit at my original table if I get an odd number?" Veronica asked, with the receptionist nodding warmly at the question. "Well fuck, that means 50 percent chance to be the one awkwardly moving around.."

"Don't worry dear, have faith." Veronica glumly sighed back in response, glancing down at the two items she had just received. The number on her clip-on card read '75' which meant that she didn't have to move around much to her relief. She was assigned to table 68, implying that there were at least 136 people attending this event.

 _'Oh boy, I have at least 68 people to talk to. How peachy.'_

XXXXXX

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 'Candy Store Speed Dating' event! Today, I'm proud to say that we have a total of 200 participants attending this year's event! You will be given three minutes to interact with them so please choose your questions wisely! Oh right, and when we ring the bell, those who have an even number on your clip-on please move to your left." A well-dressed man announced, which made Veronica internally panic. She wasn't expecting the event to last for a total of five hours, and she had a feeling that Martha didn't know either. Resigned, she slunk lower onto her chair, hoping that she could just disappear if she fell off. It was now 8.55 am, and the person sitting in front of her was a man who gave off the impression that he was a player. A fashionable player to be specific.

 _'I'm so fucked. I have to talk to 100 people and the first person in front of me is a sleaze. Do I really have to do this for five fucking hours?' _Veronica noted, sitting up straight as she observed the man. Before she knew it, the announcer had announced the start of the event and she was now forced to interact with the man in front of her.

"So, what do you think about sex on the first date?" Veronica cringed, unable to believe that someone _actually_ asked her if she was alright with sexual relations on the first date. She wasn't sure what turned her off more, the fact that he dared to ask her that question or the fact that it was his very first question.

"Um... I would prefer to save it to several months after we officially enter a relationship." Veronica tried to answer the question with a straight face, masking her horror and shock at such a question. The man continued to ask Veronica sexually explicit questions, until the bell rang. She breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for the next person to take the seat opposite her. The next person was a woman that looked to be in her early 30s, but what stood out was that she had snowy white hair despite her youthful face. _'She looks like a workaholic... oh well, better than Mr Sleazebag...'_

"Occupation?" The woman opposite her asked, cutting right to the chase.

"A-Ah um, I'm an English teacher at a high school?"

"I see, annual salary?" Veronica felt intimidated by the woman, she wasn't able to get a question in edgewise. Then again, she would rather not know how many millions was the woman earning in comparison to her measly salary.

"I-I'm not sure, around 50000 dollars annually?" The woman continued to grill Veronica for her financial status, which exhausted her greatly. Sure, she was a high school teacher that was haunted by her memories of her failed relationship, but that didn't mean that she was desperate. _'... I'm starting to think that dating JD is way better than this. At least he didn't care about how much I earn, he always control the finances after all...'_

XXXXXX

 _'I have talked to a total of 73 people and I'm super tired. At least they didn't say anything about my clothes, the way I speak, nose and why haven't I been asking them questions... JD would always say that my nose is too sharp and I have an annoying laugh...'_ Veronica thought to herself as she waited for the 74th person to take their seat opposite Veronica. What she didn't expect was that her 74th seating partner was a woman around her late 20s, her raven hair styled into a messy ponytail and was decked in mostly green. The first thing the woman did was to flash a friendly smile at her, basically radiating confidence despite being shorter than average. That really got her attention, and for the first time since the start of the event, Veronica felt herself interested in participating. _'Whoa, she's hot. And probably likes green.'_

"How old are you?" The woman asked, which made Veronica snap back to reality. "I'm 28 this year."

"O-Oh me too..." Veronica's voice cracked slightly, which made her even more nervous. The woman in front of her didn't notice and even if she did, she said nothing about it. "U-Um, is this your first time speed dating?"

"Yeah, you?" From what Veronica could tell, the woman was direct but at the same time willing to offer her own information first. Veronica nodded once, which prompted the next question from her. "Optimistic or pessimistic? People tell me that I always think that the glass is half-empty even when it isn't anywhere near empty."

"I'm probably the same as you? Do you have any pets?"

"No, mild allergies. I like looking at cats though. You seem like a cat lover if I'm being honest."

"Well yes, I don't own any cats though. Or any other animals for that matter." Veronica smiled for the first time at the event, the woman in front of her was easy to talk to and wasn't triggering any of her fears so far. "I guess I'm going to be a cat mom in the future.

"You do have that vibe. What season do you like the most?"

"Autumn, perfect season for reading! I-I mean, I like books so um..." Veronica panicked, realising that the woman didn't know that she liked reading. The woman grinned, leaning closer to Veronica. "U-Um, what about you?"

"I'm a winter girl, and I think it's great to curl up in my bed with a good book waiting for me on my pillow." The woman smirked, which sent a shiver up Veronica's spine. She didn't know why, but it made her feel tingly inside. It was a foreign feeling that she had first experienced four years ago in her first relationship. "I'm also pretty active at night, you have no idea how hard is it for me to wake up for this event."

"I'm not too sure about myself, considering that my sleep cycles are pretty off lately... Probably a night owl though, it's more peaceful at night." For once, Veronica felt comfortable conversing with a total stranger. It made her feel at ease, making her more open in their conversation. "Do you like travelling?"

"I guess? I have to travel around a fair bit so it helps to enjoy it." The woman shrugged, but her answer gave Veronica some insight to her occupation. "What about you?"

"I don't know... I haven't gone anywhere outside Ohio since I was 12." Veronica replied, remembering an occasion when her ex prevented her from leaving Ohio by citing that it was 'selfish' of her to take a break without him and she would just 'splurge on his hard-earnt cash'. "B-But I would like to visit London once, it would be nice to visit the Elizabeth Tower even though Big Ben doesn't ring anymore."

"Yeah, it's pretty iconic. Say, what would your best friends say about you?" The woman asked, a sympathetic frown present on her face before melting away into a small smile. Veronica blinked, and laughed at the question. "Did I ask something inappropriate?"

"No, it's just that I only have one best friend. Martha told me two weeks ago that I'm the 'most wonderful, beautiful and bestest person anyone can ask for'." Veronica quoted, directing the question back at the woman. The woman flinched, and for a moment Veronica could see discomfort in her hazel-coloured eyes. That discomfort soon vanished, but Veronica couldn't shake what she had just sensed. _'It doesn't seem like she wants to talk about her friends... Why raise that question then?'_

"Me? Well... Best friend one says that I suck while best friend two says that I'm a sad little poser." The woman chuckled self-deprecatingly at the exact moment the bell signalled the time to change partners. "It's fun while it lasted. It'll be nice if I could see you again Ms 75."

"I bet you say that to everyone." Veronica replied, searching for the woman's clip-on card. The number on it read '192', and she made sure to burn that number into the back of her brain. The woman softly laughed, raising an eyebrow as her response to Veronica's comment.

"No, even heartbreakers like me don't hope to see _everyone_ a second time." The woman moved on to the next table, and the empty seat opposite Veronica was now replaced with a man that towered over her. He condescendingly glanced at Veronica, taking his seat with an audible sigh.

"Let me guess, you're here to find someone rich so that you can leech on them right?" Veronica groaned, immediately praying for her very first conversational partner to come back. At least talking about sex sounded way better than getting looked down, something that Veronica needed last after her relationship with JD.

 _'What was that woman's number again? 192 right? I wonder if she wants to see me again...'_

XXXXXX

"So how was it Veronica? Did you meet anyone nice?" Martha asked her best friend, who sported a silly grin ever since she left the hotel. "I'll take it as a yes. How were they like?"

"You mean 192? She's... charming, and easy to talk to yet there seems to be something unknown hidden within her. It's like a treasurer who is armed with a tattered treasure map and some details of an unheard of treasure, she's just like the mysterious treasure!" Veronica started to ramble about her three minutes with as she called the woman, 192, with Martha nodding with interest. She only stopped when Martha interrupted her with a question, an apologetic look crossing her face. "S-Sorry Martha, it's just... you know."

"I know. When will you get her number?"

"You make it sound like she's definitely interested in me. But the organisers said that if there's a match, they'll send you the other party's info three days later."

"That's pretty standard. Anyways, anyone else?" Veronica immediately shook her head, eliciting a laugh from Martha. "That bad? I thought the event was a decent hunting ground! Oh and I met my best friend from elementary school! I was so surprised to see her there, she's super hot now by the way."

"Really? Maybe I've met her. Anyways, the event was alright... it's the participants that weren't great... most of them."

"I see, that's a shame. Oh right, movie night at my place?"

"Nah, I think I'll have to pass today. I have a mountain of essays to look through."

"Got it, I'll see you Friday evening?" Veronica nodded, and they parted ways. Veronica sighed, her smartphone buzzing. She wasn't sure who would contact her on a Sunday, but nonetheless she pulled out her device to entertain the other party. _'Oh, it's Ms Chandler. What does she want at this hour?'_

 _"Took you long enough!"_ An angry shrill voice was heard, something which Veronica dreaded to hear especially on a weekend. She and Ms Chandler weren't on great terms with each other, but unfortunately for both of them, they were usually paired up to handle school events and the same homeroom class. _"I've been trying to contact you since 11! What the fuck are you doing that's so important that you have to ignore me?!"_

"None of your business, I'm tired and I just want to mark my class's essays. Is that so much to ask?"

 _"Fuck you Sawyer. Anyways, are you done with the tasks you're assigned to for Sports Day?"_

"No, do I look like I have the time? You do it."

 _"As much as I would love to, I'm stuck waiting for the chemicals to arrive. I just used them to scare away your ex."_

"My _what_?! JD showed up at school on a weekend?!" Veronica was horrified at the mere mention of her boyfriend showing up at her workplace. "Wait, he _entered_ the school?!"

 _"Don't worry, I called the cops on him. Took him away so it's all good. But seriously, fucking help me complete my tasks since you're not doing anything now."_

"And as much as I'm thankful towards you calling the cops on my ex, please use the wait time for the chemicals to do _your_ own tasks." Veronica hung up on Ms Chandler, sighing at the mere thought of her ex breaking into the school. _'JD... I'm sorry but I really can't do it anymore... I can't take it anymore...'_

XXXXXX

"Welcome to Wednesday bitch." A lanky woman with curled blonde hair reaching her waist sneered at Veronica, her icy blue eyes boring into Veronica's being. "Managed to survive Monday and Tuesday again I see."

"Do you really have to do this to me Ms Chandler?" Veronica sighed, half-heartedly glaring at the woman. Ms Chandler cackled, her lips curling upwards to form an amused smile. "Your lipstick looks even redder than usual, what's the occasion?"

"Are you kidding me? Today is Picture Day, god you're such a pillowcase!" Ms Chandler sneered, pulling out a comb from her left blazer pocket. "Use this, your hair is a literal bird's nest."

"You didn't lace this comb with some acid? Either I'm dreaming, or you won the lottery." Veronica warily accepted the comb and used it to tame her unruly hair, with Ms Chandler scoffing at Veronica's remark.

"Neither, I'm just feeling nice today. Anyways FYI, the usual guy is unavailable so the school hired someone else. Apparently this one is an actual photographer, heard that the principal paid a pretty penny for his services." Ms Chandler grinned in delight, her eyes lighting up with a lustful gleam. "I'm gonna sink my claws into him."

"Aren't you dating someone? Won't you make him cry?"

"Sawyer, you're such a pillowcase. Of course I'm not going to cheat on my lover, I'm just... going to flirt with him a little. You know, leave him out to dry as soon as he's done with my picture." Ms Chandler sighed, crossing her arms. "Anyways, we're going by first names so you're the last one."

"What about you? Actually, what's your name? I always address you by your surname..." Veronica asked, which made Ms Chandler raise both eyebrows at the English teacher. "Look I'm sorry, I never once bothered to look up your name!"

"Urgh, whatever. It's Heather, Heather Chandler." Ms Chandler groaned, massaging her temples. "Seriously, I know you're Veronica despite you being a loser but really? I'm the hottest shit in school!"

"Honestly? I don't give a shit. Where is the picture taking being held for teachers?"

"Computer Lab A. Sawyer, pay some attention to the principal next time will you?"Ms Chandler sighed, parting ways with the English teacher. "It starts at 3.30!"

"Got it!" Veronica replied, making her way to her next lesson. Her phone buzzed, and upon glancing at it, a smile crept onto her face. She had just received a text message from the organisers of the 'Candy Store Speed Dating' event, and it contained information on 192. It included her name and number, which was enough for Veronica.

 _'Heather Duke... nice name, if only it isn't the exact same name as Ms Chandler's...'_

XXXXXX

"Why are you grinning to yourself?" Ms Chandler asked Veronica, who was smiling at her phone. She was texting Heather Duke, and was busy texting her. "Hello, earth to creepo here?!"

"O-Oh sorry Ms Chandler. Just texting an online friend. What is it?" Veronica asked, pausing her typing. Ms Chandler shrugged, a bored look crossing her face.

"Nothing really, just... how does it feel to break up with someone?"

"You broke up with your lover?!"

"NO! One of my best friends had broken up, and the way I tried to comfort her then was pretty shitty even for my standards. So I want to hear from you how does it feel to break up with Mr Crazy-School-Bomber-Wannabe." Ms Chandler snapped, glaring at Veronica as though she was out of her mind to even harbour the thought of her breaking up.

"Well basically, anyone would appreciate it if you don't say anything bad. No one likes to hear bad stuff, trust me I've been there." Veronica replied, vaguely telling her co-worker about her past relationship. Ms Chandler nodded, and soon it was her turn to take her picture. Veronica took that as a cue to text Heather, now free of any distractions.

 _Duke: [it seems like i'm going to be here for a while, how does dinner at 7 sound?]_

 _V. Sawyer: [Sure, I'm looking forward to it.]_

 _Duke: [as am i veronica, but u should know that i'm not exactly a great person]_

 _V. Sawyer: [No worries Heather, I'm pretty fucked up too.]_

 _Duke: [guess we can find out who wins the award for being mega fucked later]_

 _Duke: [ah my next client is here, i'll text you after i'm done with my work]_

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!" Veronica could hear Ms Chandler yelling in the computer lab, before she stormed out in a rage.

"... You _sure_ you didn't break up with your lover...?" Veronica hesitantly asked the glowering teacher, instantly met with a scowl from said teacher. "O-Oh okay I'll leave."

XXXXXX

"Finally, it's my turn." Veronica muttered to herself as she made her way to the designated computer lab. Thanks to Ms Chandler, she was indirectly forced to wait somewhere else. That made it difficult for her to keep track when was her turn to take her picture. Usually, Picture Day is reserved for the students but the yearbook committee insisted that this year, they _had_ to have every faculty member in the book along with the students. Veronica took a deep breath and knocked on the door, peering in when she didn't hear anything. "H-Hello? I-It's supposed to be my turn now..."

"Veronica?! What are you doing here?" Waiting for Veronica in the computer lab was 192, real name Heather Duke, with a camera on a tripod stand. "I didn't know you work here!"

"Well considering that we didn't exactly say much to each other apart from date plans, I'm not surprised. When you said that you travelled, I didn't know you work as a travel photographer!" Veronica was just as shocked as Heather, but wasn't bothered by it. "... Hold on, you _know_ Ms Chandler?!"

"Heather? Yeah, she's best friend two. I didn't know that you two worked at the same school." Heather commented, beckoning Veronica to stand in front of a white wall. "Smile for the camera?"

"Sure." Veronica smiled, and within a few seconds Heather gave her a thumbs-up. "Good to go?"

"Yup. Are there anymore teachers after you?" Veronica shook her head, which elicited a grin from Heather. "Awesome, let me pack up and we can grab dinner. Any preferences?"

"Not Chinese, I had that yesterday. Apart from that, I don't mind."

"Great, because I have zero idea what to eat today. Are you fine with pizza for dinner? I'll drive."

"You're lucky that tomorrow's a holiday." Both women laughed, and Ms Chandler poked her head into the room with a surprised look on her face. "Oh, Ms Chandler. What can I do for you?"

"I didn't know that you knew Heather. If I did, I would have hooked you two up a lot sooner." Ms Chandler glanced at them, a small smile forming on her face. "At least it's not some cheating ex or some crazy stalker."

"You ex cheated on you?" Veronica asked, surprised to hear that someone like Heather was cheated on. Heather shrugged, pushing Ms Chandler aside.

"Let's talk about it at dinner. Move it Heather, go fuck Heather or something." Ms Chandler scowled, allowing Heather and Veronica to pass. Veronica was extremely surprised to see someone drawing out a defeated scowl from Ms Chandler, who wasn't nicknamed 'mythic bitch' for nothing. Heather glanced at Veronica, noticing that the latter hadn't engaged in small talk on their way to her car. "Veronica, did I say something to offend you just now?"

"What? No! I'm just impressed that Ms Chandler can make such a face, not befitting of her status as a mythic bitch you know?" Heather sported a jubilant grin on her face, relieved to hear that Veronica wasn't in anyway offended with her.

"Oh believe me, if you think I'm impressive just by making her admit defeat, you should see her when she gets fucked silly by her girlfriend." Veronica chuckled, she sure as hell wasn't ready for a new relationship but something about Heather convinced her that they could be more than just friends. Emphasis on the 'could be'.

 _'Heather Duke may be fucked up, probably more so than me, but I'll choose her over JD any day.'_

XXXXXX

I'm... I'm just going to leave it at that. Seriously, I can't do dates. And I sure as hell don't wanna delve deep into abandonment issues and one-night stands and all that shit. Wait, I didn't mention anything about one-night stands? Shit. That's a spoiler isn't it? (No it isn't, Heather mentioned that she's a heartbreaker so why the fuck not.) Okay so... that's the end of Veronica's POV, next chapter will feature Heather's!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Slushie Addict here! So this is Heather Duke's POV, and frankly it's not _that_ different from Veronica's. And just like the previous chapter, this will end before they got to that pizza place Heather wanted to take Veronica to. With that, I don't own Heathers!

XXXXXX

"You did it _again_?! How many times have you done it this month?!" A woman with curly blonde hair groaned, her olive-coloured eyes brimming with disgust. She was at a cafe with her friend, who was previously telling her of her one-night stand before she was interrupted. "Heather, are you listening?!"

"Yes I'm listening, yes I did it again, and this makes it the 20th time this month." Heather responded, her hazel-coloured eyes rolling at the woman in front of her. She really didn't know what she was doing, sleeping with so many women within a month. She was already 28, yet she was still engaging in risky activities and the worst part was that she was fully aware of its consequences. She had already considered herself lucky that she wasn't a carrier of any STDs. "Anyways Heather, why do you even care? You have Heather after all, and boy is she whipped when it comes to you."

"It's not a question of who I'm dating! Heather, c'mon. Ever since your breakup with Courtney four years ago, you're sleeping around every single day!" The blonde Heather continued, shaking her head at the other Heather. "I understand if it's four months ago, but seriously! It has been _years_ Heather! You need to move on! Besides, _she_ cheated on _you_! Why are you still not over her?!"

"Oh I don't know, maybe it's because she was my everything?!" The second Heather retorted, showing blonde Heather the finger. She knew that her friend was right, but she couldn't help falling back on such unhealthy (and dangerous) methods to cope with her heartbreak. "You wouldn't know how it feels like to find out that the girl you love wholeheartedly for five fucking years is actually cheating on you for four years!"

"That still doesn't give you the right to go sleep with every single female being that moves!"

"I still haven't fucked you! Or Heather!"

"Like we'll let you sleep with us! Have you ever thought about the number of hearts you've broken after your one-night stands?!"

"Who cares?! They're called one-night stands for a reason!"

"Maybe because you just treat them as such which is why you can never date someone else!"

"Oh sure, Heather Duke is such a pathetic little poser who can't let go of her broken relationship with her first love! Yeah, thanks for the reminder Ms I-own-a-jewellery-store-which-is-why-I'm-rich-as-fuck!" The second Heather yelled at her friend, regretting it a second later. _'Shit, Heather's just trying to help me and I'm over here acting like an ungrateful bitch.'_

"... You suck!" The blonde Heather eventually seethed, storming out of the cafe. The second Heather sighed, regretting the direction their conversation had taken. She wasn't sure if she should continue drinking the coffee she had paid for, she didn't even like coffee to begin with. Shrugging, she got up from her chair and made her way home. Once she reached home, she decided to surf the internet and had came across an advertisement that refused to go away no matter how many times she clicked the exit icon.

"What the fuck's with this ad... 'Candy Store Speed Dating'? What's that, a dating event for prostitutes and hustlers?" Heather scoffed, her lips lifting to form a smile. "... That's exactly the kind of event for me, since I fuck with almost every woman I meet. How to sign up for this event, let's see here..."

 _[Welcome to the sign-up page for the 'Candy Store Speed Dating' event. This is a LGBT+ event so if you're not comfortable with it, please feel free to exit this page. Details of the event are found above the submission form. To sign up, please fill up your particulars below and press 'submit' to submit your submission form._

 _Date: 30 November 2017_

 _Starting time: 0900_

 _Age group: 21-35 but we welcome you if you're above the targeted age group_

 _Attire: Smart casual_

 _Location: Sherwood Hotel]_

"LGBT huh? Never thought I'll see a dating event meant for people like us..." Heather mused, the event seemed legitimate, and truth be told she was already trying to find a woman to enter a serious relationship with. Of course, her history of one-night stands didn't really help her find someone that would date her seriously. "Okay fine, let's see what I need to fill up..."

 _[Name:_

 _Age:_

 _Contact number:_

 _Sexuality (This is important for distribution purposes):_

 _ALL ARE COMPULSORY.]_

"Distribution purposes? They're referring to how they're going to assign our seats right?" Heather confusedly filled up the submission form, submitting it a minute later. _'... I hope I can meet someone that's better than Courtney... someone that would love me wholeheartedly...'_

XXXXXX

"Do I _really_ have to wear a party dress to the event?" Heather asked a saleslady who was holding up an emerald party dress. "It's just asking for smart casual!"

"Well the lady trying on clothes right now didn't want to wear a party dress, so I decided that I'll force this idea onto the next customer who steps into my store." The saleslady replied, an eager smile plastered on her face as she continued to hold up the party dress. "Besides, green suits you!"

"Uh yeah, no. I'm not wearing a fancy dress to a seedy dating event, no matter how sick I look in green." Heather refused, backing away from the saleslady. The saleslady inched forward, trying her best to narrow the distance between them. "God damn it lady, get a clue!"

"H-How about this one miss?" Behind Heather was an overweight woman wearing a worn pink sweater holding up an emerald blouse, her other hand carrying a few blue clothes. "I-I think it'll look good on you?"

"... It's definitely better than the dress." Heather admitted, taking the blouse out of the woman's hand. "Thanks."

"O-Oh, sure! I-If you want to go with smart casual, I-I suggest black jeans? Black goes really well with green!" The woman stuttered, tripping over words as she advised Heather. Heather nodded, genuinely considering the woman's advice. She had a nagging feeling that she had seen the woman before, but couldn't remember where. "U-Um, you look great in green."

"I've been told that often. Thanks again, I'll try this on." Heather made her way to a changing room, and changed out of her current t-shirt (which was green too). She buttoned up the blouse, and faced the mirror to see whether she looked good in it. She looked fine, except the chest area was a bit too tight for comfort. _'Note to self, don't wear the padded bra to the event.'_

"You look fantastic miss! Blue is really your colour!" Heather heard the saleslady's praise, most likely to the customer before her. Heather sighed, changing back to her original t-shirt while glancing at the price tag.

"I-I don't know... What if I look too casual for the event? God it sucks being ugly..." The customer commented, probably with a uncomfortable look on her face. Heather was about to exit the room and tell her off, but the woman that picked out the blouse for her beat her to it.

"You look fine! I just saw someone turning down a party dress because it looked too formal for her, so don't you say that others will look down on you!"

"Martha, I really don't think-" Heather raised her eyebrows, that was a name that she certainly wouldn't forget after bullying the living hell out of a girl with that name back in elementary school. She brushed that feeling off though, there was no way that the Martha in that very store was the same Martha she knew from her elementary school days.

"Then don't think! Just let it go, and you'll do fine!"

"You really love 'Frozen' way too much Martha." The customer chuckled softly, and Heather chose that exact moment to exit the changing room. As she exited the changing room, she managed to sneak a glance at the customer and it was a moment that she didn't regret. The customer was a relatively tall woman with dark circles around her face. Her skin was flawless (at a glance) and _damn_ , did she look good in blue. Heather was completely floored, and was left gawking at her.

"She's pretty right?" Martha asked, approaching Heather. Heather could only nod silently, at a loss for words for the customer. "See! Someone here thinks you're pretty!"

"Tell that person that she's blind!" The customer yelled back, with crashing noises coming from the changing room that she was in. "Ow! Martha Dunnstock, do you know how expensive this blouse is?!"

"Just shift the decimal point towards the left!" Martha replied, chuckling to Heather. Heather gulped, wondering to herself what was the coincidence of meeting the girl she bullied back in elementary school again. "My friend's really shy. I wonder if signing her up for a speed dating event is a good idea..."

"Um, s-she doesn't have to go there to love someone. She can just, y'know, find a friend there?" Heather rubbed the back of her neck, this was the second time in her life that she was that nervous. Martha nodded approvingly, holding up a blue skirt.

"That's what I said to her just now! I hope she finds someone great at the event... she's really faithful so she's great dating material." Heather nodded, going over to the saleslady to purchase the blouse. "Good luck for your event miss!"

"... Yeah, I'll need all the luck I can get."

XXXXXX

"Welp, no turning back now. It's a pretty decent place to hold a wedding reception here... But of course, Heather would say no if I brought this up." Heather sighed, eyeing Martha and a woman dressed in blue at the hotel's reception desk. She arrived at the hotel an hour earlier, hoping to start a conversation with one of the participants. The woman shakily made her way towards the lift lobby, and Martha turned around to face Heather. She smiled, and quickly made her way to the woman dressed in green. "O-Oh hey, so your friend is attending this speed dating event too...?"

"Yup! It's such a coincidence! What are the odds?" Martha beamed, still unaware that standing right before her was her elementary school bully. Heather laughed guiltily, unable to meet Martha's eyes. "It'll be nice if you two meet, you're a nice person!"

"You... should really hold that thought. I'm pretty terrible to be with? Like... um... I'm a former bully?" Heather vaguely explained to Martha why she shouldn't be considered as a good person, hoping that she would be remembered of the times that she was bullied by her. Apparently, Martha didn't react the way Heather wanted her to.

"That's okay! My best friend in elementary school was a bully too, but I know that she bullied me because if she didn't, other bullies wouldn't leave me alone!" Heather was shocked that Martha knew about it, but was more impressed by her unwavering trust in people. As much as she wanted to chat with Martha, Heather really had to register for the event before she lost her entry fee.

"Martha, it's really great to know that you forgive me but I have to go register for the event." Heather said, running towards the lobby in an attempt to escape Martha. _'Nope nope nope, can't apologise to her for what I've done to her! I'm such a fucking coward!'_

"Forgive? Wait, Heather Duke?! Is it really you?!" Heather couldn't hear what Martha had shouted to her afterwards, with the lift doors closing on her. Heather breathed a sigh, and decided to contact blonde Heather. She punched in the numbers and brought the phone to her ear, waiting for her to pick up the call.

 _"What do you want?"_ Heather took a deep breath to steady herself, and responded as calmly as possible.

"Listen, I'm sorry for that outburst back then. You're right, I should stop having one-night stands as a way to cope with my breakup."

 _"... Are you okay Heather? Do you want me to come over now?"_ Heather rolled her eyes, just how much trust did her friend had towards her?

"No, it's fine. I'm out anyways. Listen, there's this event I'm attending... and I want to ask you what kind of questions should I ask."

 _"It depends on the event. What kind of an event are you attending at this hour anyways?"_

"A... speed dating event." Heather could hear an audible gasp over the phone, she was positive that blonde Heather was shocked out of her wits. _'Is it really that much of a shock that I'm going to try my hand at this dating business...?'_

 _"You're seriously moving on? Or are you going there to pick up more women? Because if it's the latter-"_

"No! I'm... I don't know, but I'm definitely _not_ here for a one-night stand!"

 _"That better be the case. Anyways, just don't ask creepy questions. Ask questions that you'll ask someone that you wanna be friends with."_ Heather nodded, waiting for her friend to continue. _"... You still suck, but at least not as much as before."_

"Ouch. Thanks for helping Heather." The call ended, which at least left Heather slightly less regretful for signing up for an event that was completely a different ballgame for her. "It's such a fucking mystery how lift rides always feel long when you don't want them to."

"Hello, are you here for the 'Candy Store Speed Dating' event?" A second receptionist that was dressed in grey asked Heather with a smile plastered on her face., with Heather nodding in silent regret. "Don't worry sweetie, they won't bite. Probably. Could you tell me your name?"

"If you say this to everyone, I shudder to imagine what kind of dickheads you have to entertain." Heather replied, rolling her eyes at the greeting. _'How the fuck does she manage to smile like she just won the lottery?!'_

"Eh, that's what I get with a liberal arts degree." The receptionist shrugged, though she still had the smile on her face. Heather wondered how did she manage it, but chose not to voice out her thoughts. After all, she wasn't here to mingle (and possibly hook up) with a receptionist.

XXXXXX

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 'Candy Store Speed Dating' event! Today, I'm proud to say that we have a total of 200 participants attending this year's event! You will be given three minutes to interact with them so please choose your questions wisely! Oh right, and when we ring the bell, those who have an even number on your clip-on please move to your left." A well-dressed man announced, which made Heather sigh heavily. She _really_ didn't want to talk to 100 people within a span of five hours, and to make matters worse, she was participant 192 which meant that she had to move. The person sitting across Heather was a nervous woman that was probably in her early 20s, and maybe bi-curious.

 _'Oh boy, this must really be that poor girl's unlucky day to meet me of all heartbreakers...'_ Heather's eyes roamed up and down the woman, examining the woman. She was dressed fairly conservatively, except that her one side of her yellow cardigan was clearly slipping down from her right shoulder, making her look sexy. Her blonde hair was obviously brushed, yet she had somehow made it seem that she had just woken up, which helped to frame the woman's sexy posture. _'... How is it that she looks so fuckable and yet such a virgin at the same time?! She probably doesn't realise this, that's the only reasonable explanation.'_

"U-Um..." The woman started, which snapped Heather out of her thoughts. "H-How do you know that you like girls?"

"... Excuse me?" Heather blinked, that certainly wasn't how she expected people to start a conversation. Not to say that she wasn't happy though, she wasn't interested in taking advantage of a woman who didn't even know if she swung the other way. "You do realise that you just signed up for a LGBT plus speed dating right?"

"I... I signed up because I'm not sure whether I'm gay." The woman admitted, her hand brushing away a part of her hair that was covering her eyes. "I... I really hope I'm not though. N-Not because I'm like homophobic or anything! Just..."

"Just?"

"... My family are all strict Christians so they aren't exactly... readily accepting of people with different sexual orientations..."

"Ah. Well, do you like the idea of dating a woman?" Heather decided that she should at least help a stranger with her sexuality, it was the most decent thing she could do as someone who slept around like how fickle a cat was. The woman nodded, which prompted Heather to ask the next question. "Then do you like the idea of sleeping with a woman?"

"... I always sleep with my best friend though?"

"I meant having sex with a woman." The woman opposite her blushed a bright red, which told everything Heather needed to know. "Okay, you're into women. That settles it."

"J-Just like that?" Heather nodded, what was the woman hoping for? There were other ways that Heather could help... but that would include actually sleeping with her and Heather was determined to stop sleeping around. "... Wow... that was easy."

"Yup, the heartbreak hurts way more though. But hey, surely there are a few gay bars from wherever you come from."

"How do you know that I'm not from around here?" On one hand, Heather wanted to tell the woman that she had fucked almost every woman in Sherwood. On the other hand, she figured that it was best to keep her sex life private. As what the kids now say, TMI.

"Well... let's just say that Sherwood is a small town so the locals are pretty acquainted with each other. I'm guessing you're from Indiana?"

"U-Um, New Jersey actually. The bus ticket is pretty expensive but I don't regret buying it. I have to go back today though, I ran out of money so I can't stay at a hotel..." Heather raised her eyebrows, her one trip to New Jersey for work purposes left a huge impression on her because it was long and painful. For the woman to come all the way to Sherwood just to see if she liked women... Heather had some respect for her.

"I can see that. Say, want to exchange contacts? If you don't mind, I can advise you with relationship advice if you need it." Heather offered, regretting it instantly not because it sounded creepy but because she was the last person anyone should approach her for relationship advice. _'This is a bad idea.'_

"O-Okay! That sounds great!" The woman had an innocent smile on her face, and Heather was relieved for the woman that she had zero intentions with sleeping with her in some seedy motel. "W-Wait, do you mean now or via the event organiser?"

"I guess via the organiser." Heather replied just as the signal to switch sounded. "Well, it's a pleasure to help you with your sexuality. Hope to hear from you soon Ms 199."

"O-Okay!" Heather moved on to the next table, feeling hopeful that the next person was similar to Ms 199. Her hopes were dashed when she saw what was clearly a man dressed in women's clothing, but she reasoned that the 'man' was in fact a transgender woman. After all, this was a LGBT plus event that included people from the spectrum, which included transgender people. However, her hopes were dashed even further upon the hearing the introduction.

"Hiiiiii~ I like dressing up as a woman so that lesbos will wanna fuck with me."

 _'Note to self, write a complaint email to the organisers after this event.'_

XXXXXX

 _'Gah, 73 people is too much for one person to handle. Especially the creeps. Thank god most of them were fine...'_ Heather thought to herself as she made her way to the next table, where she saw Martha's friend sitting at the table with a bored expression on her face. For once, Heather felt the urge to impress the woman (and it wasn't because she felt guilty for bullying Martha in elementary school). The woman wore a navy blue blouse and matched it with a grey plaid skirt, reminding Heather of her other best friend. Sucking in a breath, she strode over to the table in the most confident manner she could muster and flashed a (what she thought was friendly but probably looked creepy) smile to the woman. "How old are you? I'm 28 this year."

"O-Oh me too..." The woman's voice cracked slightly, which gave Heather the impression that she _was_ coming off as creepy. Heather decided that she should try to be as friendly as possible, so as to make the woman feel comfortable talking to her. "U-Um, is this your first time speed dating?"

"Yeah, you?" Heather wanted to hit herself in the face upon asking that question, it was painfully obvious that the woman was also a speed dating virgin but it would be rude to voice that opinion out. The woman nodded once, which prompted the next question from Heather. "Optimistic or pessimistic? People tell me that I always think that the glass is half-empty even when it isn't anywhere near empty."

"I'm probably the same as you? Do you have any pets?" Well, at least the woman was responding positively to Heather so it was a confidence boost to know that she wasn't fucking the conversation up so far.

"No, mild allergies. I like looking at cats though. You seem like a cat lover if I'm being honest."

"Well yes, I don't own any cats though. Or any other animals for that matter." The woman smiled for the first time during their first minute together, which gave Heather some confidence to ask for her number at the end of their time together. If that was even allowed to begin with. "I guess I'm going to be a cat mom in the future.

"You do have that vibe." Heather gulped, she hoped that the woman took that as a compliment because from the way she sounded, it sounded like she was making an insult. Thankfully, the woman chuckled at that comment. "What season do you like the most?"

"Autumn, perfect season for reading! I-I mean, I like books so um..." The woman panicked, which made Heather grin and lean closer towards her unconsciously. Maybe she had a thing for distressed women, or maybe the woman's reactions were simply too adorable for her to handle. Heather hoped it was the latter, because the first option made her seem like a sadist. "U-Um, what about you?"

"I'm a winter girl, and I think it's great to curl up in my bed with a good book waiting for me on my pillow." Heather smirked like how she would when she was flirting with some one-night stand. She regretted it instantly, but the way the woman was looking at her... "I'm also pretty active at night, you have _no idea_ how hard is it for me to wake up for this event."

"I'm not too sure about myself, considering that my sleep cycles are pretty off lately... Probably a night owl though, it's more peaceful at night." Heather had wanted to kick herself for making a sexual innuendo, and wondered if she even _deserved_ the innocent woman in front of her. Had it been with her friends, she would have gotten herself lectured for sleeping with another woman again. "Do you like travelling?"

"I guess? I have to travel around a fair bit so it helps to enjoy it." As a photographer, Heather really had to travel around a lot. Thankfully for her, trips outside of USA were fairly rare, so she didn't have to worry much about the timezone difference. "What about you?"

"I don't know... I haven't gone anywhere outside Ohio since I was 12. B-But I would like to visit London once, it would be nice to visit the Elizabeth Tower even though Big Ben doesn't ring anymore."

"Yeah, it's pretty iconic. Say, what would your best friends say about you?" Heather asked, wondering what had prompted her to ask the woman such a question. Of course, she could predict her mentioning Martha and all the nice things she had to say about the woman. As for her own best friends... The woman broke into unrestrained laughter, which truly confused Heather. "Did I ask something inappropriate?"

"No, it's just that I only have one best friend. Martha told me two weeks ago that I'm the 'most wonderful, beautiful and bestest person anyone can ask for'. How about you?" Heather flinched, while she had indeed dug her own grave the very moment she asked the woman that question, it still stung that her best friends had almost nothing good to say about her. She deserved it though, she was a real bitch throughout the years so it was fair that even her bitchy best friend thought that she was a bitch.

"Me? Well... Best friend one says that I suck while best friend two says that I'm a sad little poser." Heather remembered what Heather McNamara, the Heather she had talked to on the phone before the event started, told her on that day at the cafe. The second comment was made by Heather Chandler, Heather's bitchy other best friend who was also dating the other Heather. She chuckled self-deprecatingly at the exact moment the bell signalled the time to change partners and for once, she was glad that the bell had saved her from asking anymore awkward questions. "It's fun while it lasted. It'll be nice if I could see you again Ms 75."

"I bet you say that to everyone." Heather softly laughed, raising an eyebrow as her response to the woman's comment. She noticed the woman staring intensely at her number, and it dawned on her that their conversation wasn't a failure to begin with.

"No, even heartbreakers like me don't hope to see _everyone_ a second time." Heather hoped that the woman got the hint, because if she didn't, Heather would have to resort to getting her contacts via Martha and that would be an invasion of privacy. Then again, it really would be best if they had no more encounters with each other, she was a woman who sleeps around while the woman was the personification of innocence itself. _'Geez, I feel like I'm 19 all over again.'_

XXXXXX

"Hey Heather!" Heather cringed, she heard Martha calling out to her from a distance and it killed her to think that she would have potentially more run-ins with Martha should she get together with the woman. "Did you meet her?"

"You mean your best friend? Yeah, I did. God, she's so adorable. I hope she got the message that I'm super into her." Heather had no choice but to turn around and face Martha, who was practically beaming at her. "Don't you dare smile at me like you just won the lottery."

"But you won the love lottery! She's super into you too! She said that you're like a mysterious treasure!"

"Which no one has ever heard of?"

"She meant that you're super sought for Heather." Martha sighed, patting Heather's shoulder in a comforting manner. "You two are meant for each other. It was fate the moment you walked into that clothing store."

"Please don't tell me that you're still watching 'The Princess Bride' at this age..."

"I'm a sucker for happy endings."

"I'll take that as a yes then." Heather was unnerved by the fact that Martha was making an effort to be friends again despite being such a prick back in elementary school, that wasn't how a bullied person should react when facing their bully again. "... I'm sorry for being such an asshole when we're kids. It was no excuse to chuck you aside just to become more popular."

"Aw that's okay! I mean, all you wanted was to protect me from those boys then. Hey! I have an idea! Let's go back and have a movie night!" Heather internally groaned at that suggestion, she really wanted to go home and cry herself a river for bullying an angel called Martha Dunnstock back when they were kids. Martha however, was not having any objections for she dragged Heather in the direction of her house. "I have Netflix! There's definitely some movies we can both enjoy!"

"How about 'Barney is a Drug Addict'?"

"Nope."

"Do you have 'Dora the Penis Explorer'?"

"No...?"

"How about '13 Reasons Why Asians Are Hookers'?"

"Heather, the titles you listed sound disturbing. Are you okay? I can help you source for counselors if you have a drug addiction." Heather sighed, she really wasn't going to get away from Martha was she? "Actually, why list all those topics?"

"I have no idea. Now let's just go back to your place and watch some shitty movies before I change my mind." Martha nodded happily, and Heather wondered if she could bail halfway through the movie. Knowing Martha, they were going to watch some sappy rom-com over a bucket of popcorn. Heather just hoped that it was caramel-flavoured.

"By the way Heather, what is the original movie of the third title you suggested?"

"My life after I broke up." Martha let out a loud gasp, not surprising Heather the least. "Okay okay, it's my life _combined_ with '13 Reasons Why'."

"I'll bring you for a STD checkup now!" Martha exclaimed, turning on her heels and proceeding to drag Heather to the nearest hospital. "I don't want you to live your life without knowing if you have any STDs or not!"

Heather would later explain, to Martha's horror, that it was a waste of time as she had sex a week ago and whatever results yielded would be inaccurate.

XXXXXX

"Oh hey, Brooke right? I'm Heather Duke, also literally the first participant you met?" Heather decided to give Ms 199 a call, inquiring about her trip back to New Jersey. Apart from her, she had received Ms 75's contacts. Her name was Veronica Sawyer, and to Heather it sounded like the most pleasant thing ever to grace her ears. Not that she would say that to Veronica _or_ Martha. "Yeah, did you get back to New Jersey safely?"

 _"Ms Duke! It's so great to hear from you! Um, I did get back safely but I'm kinda forced to crash over at a friend's place. Apparently, my parents found my porn in my laptop soooo... yeah."_

"Does your friend know the reason why?" Heather wanted to go over to New Jersey and help Brooke kick the living daylights out of her parents, but she was scheduled for a photo-taking session at a high school. _'Stupid homophobic parents.'_

 _"Yeah! Jeremy just told me that he was gay, so it's like I'm not alone y'know? But guys and girls aren't the same, so we can't really help each other fully? Oh wait, am I bothering you? It's work hours right? Oh my gosh I'm so sorry Ms Duke!"_

"No, it's fine. Just have a photo-taking session at a high school, that's all. Say, what about that crush of yours? Is she a homophobe too?"

 _"C-Chloe? O-Oh I don't know... I mean, she only dates guys... and they're all hotties..."_ Heather could literally see Brooke's nervous expression even though they were kilometres apart, and if she ever hear from Brooke that this Chloe bitch broke her heart... _"B-But she always makes it for our Pinkberry time! Even though I'm sure there's one time she was having sex with Jake halfway..."_

"Ms Duke, we'll be ready in ten minutes. Will that be alright with you?" The principal entered the room, ignoring the phone pressed against Heather's ear. Heather gave him a thumbs up, which prompted his exit.

"You know what I think? This Chloe girl may very well have the hots for you too. Of course, you should make sure that she's at least okay with LGBT and stuff. Hell, break off the friendship if she's a total bitch towards us."

 _"O-Okay! I'll ask her right now! Thank you so much Ms Duke! I'll text you about it later!"_ Brooke ended the call, which relieved Heather as had it gone any longer, she would have almost no time to set up her camera and tripod stand. She could end the call herself... but it was a while since she had someone who wasn't named Heather (or Martha since they had exchanged contacts after Sunday night) talking to her over the phone.

"Alright, let's fucking do this."

XXXXXX

"Next up... I'm going to shoot Veronica a text. Not like the next teacher is going to come in any time soon. Let's see here..." It was easy for Heather to find Veronica's contact in her phone, there was a grand total of six contacts in it after all. "How should I do this...?"

 _Duke: [hey, i'm heather duke. do u remember me?]_

 _V. Sawyer: [Yes, 192 right?]_

 _V. Sawyer: [I'm really surprised that you wanted my number.]_

 _Duke: [why wouldn't i?]_

 _V. Sawyer: [No reason.]_

 _V. Sawyer: [When will you be free? It would be nice if we met up again.]_

 _V. Sawyer: [If you're willing of course.]_

"Veronica's pretty shy... Heh, I think I could try asking her out today..." Heather blushed, typing her response as quickly as possible so that Veronica wouldn't get impatient.

 _Duke: [it seems like i'm going to be busy for the whole week but today should be fine...how does dinner at 7 sound?]_

 _V. Sawyer: [Sure, I'm looking forward to it.]_

 _Duke: [as am i veronica, but u should know that i'm not exactly a great person]_

 _V. Sawyer: [No worries Heather, I'm pretty fucked up too.]_

"Okay that wasn't the response I expected... but I guess we could bond over our not so great romantic histories..." Heather muttered, doing her best to come up with a response that didn't make her sound dismissive. "Act casual it is."

 _Duke: [guess we can find out who wins the award for being mega fucked later]_

Heather was stuck at an awkward spot, but thankfully the next teacher had the decency to knock, providing her with a valid escape that she didn't have to feel guilty over.

 _Duke: [ah my next client is here, i'll text you after i'm done with my work]_

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!" Heather immediately turned to the teacher at the door, who just so happened to be none other than her bitchy best friend Heather Chandler. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU TAKING PICTURES FOR A FUCKING YEARBOOK?!"

"Heather, why are you here?"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB! YOU KNOW THAT I'M A TEACHER AT A HIGH SCHOOL! HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHERE I TEACH?!"

"Heather, for the love of whatever, stop yelling. I'm not deaf." Heather sighed, her friend was really making a ruckus and if she didn't handle it well, she could probably lose her month's pay. "Anyways, why are you so pissed at me? I'm here for work."

"I'M MAD BECAUSE I CAN'T GET TO PLAY WITH MEN!" Heather groaned, if Heather McNamara thought that her best friend was bad, she should have seen how her girlfriend was whenever they weren't together. There was a good reason why Heather Chandler was nicknamed 'man-eater' in college. "I CAN'T PLAY AROUND WITH WOMEN LIKE YOU DO!"

"Hey! All I do are one-night stands! You, on the other hand, lead men on even though you have no intention of going out with them! And you're dating Heather too! You're the one I'm supposed to be mad at!" Cue the property damage, which was a standard when Heather Chandler got angry. "H-Hey! That's your boss's property!"

"FUCK HIM!" Heather groaned, and decided to protect her equipment from her best friend before she incurred any unwanted debt. "GOD DAMN THE MCNAMARAS! HOW _DARE_ THEY MAKE HEATHER CRY?!"

"Can you at least not shout? Urgh, why couldn't you just say that right from the beginning instead of making it my fault for your unwarranted anger?"

"They were like 'oh no my daughter is gay and it's all your fault' and 'god hates dykes'. Like, what the fucking fuck?!" Heather Chandler had somewhat calmed down, at least Heather didn't have to worry about ear damage due to overexposure to noise. "Mac really wanted their blessings too because she loves them and shit but no, they have to just fuck it up!"

"... So... how's Heather?"

"She's at your place, because my folks are back for a 'dyke check'." Heather could sense the hatred her best friend had towards her parents, and all she could think of was how glad she was for having people who supported her sexuality. Martha and her two best friends counted right? "Good thing we copied your key in case shit like this hits the fan."

"... Can I just take your picture first?"

XXXXXX

"Stupid Heather, she's getting angry at the wrong person..." Heather sighed as she picked up the pieces of a broken vase and tossing them into a nearby dustbin. She was about to pick up another piece of trash on the floor, but the soft creaking of the door halted her actions. _'Right, I still have to do my job. Fuck you Heather.'_

"H-Hello? I-It's supposed to be my turn now..." Heather flinched at that voice, and instantly turned around only to come face to face with Veronica, AKA participant 75.

"Veronica?! What are you doing here?" Heather gasped in surprise, making a mental note to kill Heather for making a mess out of the room during her session. Now Veronica would think that she worked under such sloppy conditions. "I didn't know you work here!"

"Well considering that we didn't exactly say much to each other apart from date plans, I'm not surprised. When you said that you travelled, I didn't expect you to work as a travel photographer!" Veronica was clearly just as shocked as Heather, but unlike the latter she didn't seem bothered by it. A realisation struck her face as she watched Heather desperately trying to clean up Heather Chandler's mess. "... Hold on, you _know_ Ms Chandler?!"

"Heather? Yeah, she's best friend two. I didn't know that you two worked at the same school." Heather commented, beckoning Veronica to stand in front of a white wall. Veronica nodded, timidly making her way to the white-washed wall and faced the camera with a nervous frown on her face. "Smile for the camera?"

"Sure." Veronica smiled, and within a few seconds Heather gave her a thumbs-up. "Are you going to clean up after Hurricane Chandler?"

 _'Oh, so she knows that this mess is made by Heather. Well, at least I don't have to worry that she thinks I'm a slob at work.'_ Heather rolled her eyes, kicking a chair towards a corner. "Oh fuck her. Are there anymore teachers after you?" Veronica shook her head, which elicited a grin from Heather. "Awesome, let me pack up and we can grab dinner. Any preferences?"

"Not Chinese, I had that yesterday. Apart from that, I don't mind."

"Great, because I have zero idea what to eat for dinner today. Are you fine with pizza for dinner? I'll drive."

"You're lucky that tomorrow's a holiday." Both women laughed, and Heather Chandler poked her head into the room with a surprised look on her face. "Oh, Ms Chandler. What can I do for you?"

I didn't know that you knew Heather. If I did, I would have hooked you two up a lot sooner." Heather glanced at them, a small smile forming on her face. "At least it's not some cheating ex or some crazy stalker. Or someone at a hookup bar... and I'm sorry for blowing my top earlier."

 _'Oh my god I should have left my camera running. I could have recorded her apologising! Shit, a golden opportunity wasted!'_ Heather Duke crossed her arms, glaring at her friend for even starting the mess in the first place. As expected, Veronica was surprised at the comment, but not at the part that Heather expected her to be surprised of.

"You ex cheated on you?" Her bitchy best friend was about to say something, but Heather managed to intervene by shrugging off Veronica's concerns and pushing Heather aside. Hard.

"Let's talk about it at dinner. Move it Heather, go fuck Heather or something." Heather Chandler scowled, allowing Heather and Veronica to pass. Heather Duke relished hearing a defeated scowl escaping her best friend's lips, and only wished that she could capture that moment on her camera. As they were making their way out of the school, Heather had noticed that Veronica didn't say much, or anything at all, which worried her greatly. "Veronica, did I say something to offend you just now?"

"What? No! I'm just impressed that Ms Chandler can make such a face, not befitting of her status as a mythic bitch you know?" Heather sported a jubilant grin on her face, relieved to hear that Veronica wasn't in anyway offended with her.

"Oh believe me, if you think I'm impressive just by making her admit defeat, you should see her when she gets fucked silly by her girlfriend. Totally whipped I tell you." Heather could hear Veronica chuckling away, which brought relief that something _could_ happen between them. Well, provided that she didn't fuck it up by regressing back to her old ways.

 _'With you in my life, I think I can finally start to move on from Courtney and my heartbreaker phase.'_

XXXXXX

You know what, I doubt this relationship is going to end well with the way Heather's thinking. This is why I suck at romance, and this is also why I think that Heather's encounter with Brooke (I mean come on, she's literally the girl that people pair with Chloe and it's obvious that I'm making a reference from 'Be More Chill') is the most normal and innocent thing in this story. Okay so... yeah, that's finally the end of this story, now I'm going to a 7-Eleven to cry over my shitty grades. Yay me.


End file.
